A man described by federal officials as a four-time deported illegal immigrant from Honduras has been arrested in New York City after allegedly pushing two people onto subway tracks in separate incidents Sunday, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran who remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Authorities identified the suspect as Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect was taken into custody and an immigration detainer was issued following the attack.
“Bairon Posada-Hernandez is a serial criminal and four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” said Lauren Bis, deputy assistant secretary at DHS, in comments reported by Fox News.
“We are praying for the victims and their families. DHS is calling upon New York sanctuary politicians to commit to this U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and not release this heinous criminal back into New York communities,” she added.
Case records from the New York State Unified Court System show that Posada-Hernandez was arrested Tuesday. Federal officials said the immigration detainer was issued Wednesday evening. According to New York City’s custody database, he was booked on a charge of first-degree assault, though some reports have indicated prosecutors may pursue attempted murder charges.
The alleged attacks occurred on a subway platform, where the New York Police Department said the suspect approached two men from behind and pushed them onto the tracks. The department released photos of the suspect through its NYPD Crime Stoppers account seeking information prior to his arrest.
One of the victims, identified by CBS News New York as 83-year-old Air Force veteran Richard Williams, suffered multiple fractures and bleeding on the brain. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
“The hardest part is I can’t have a conversation, or hug him again,” his granddaughter, Samantha Loria, told the outlet. “Any time I visit him, we walk around. We would go to Manhattan. He would always say hi to everyone, ask how they’re doing. It doesn’t hurt anything to be kind.”
A second victim, identified as Jhon Rodriguez, said he witnessed Williams’ head strike the tracks and saw him begin bleeding before losing consciousness. Rodriguez and another bystander managed to lift the veteran off the tracks before the next train arrived.
“I felt really scared. I was trembling. I felt disoriented,” Rodriguez told CBS News, adding that he is still suffering pain from his injuries and has been unable to work since the incident.
Federal authorities say Posada-Hernandez first entered the United States in 2008 and was deported four times between then and July 2020. According to reports, he has accumulated at least 15 prior criminal charges, including aggravated assault, domestic violence, weapons possession, obstruction of police, simple assault and drug possession.
Posada-Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to court records, as the investigation and prosecution move forward.
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John Kennedy here. The last fundraising deadline passed — and we came up short. Now the woke crowd is celebrating, saying “Kennedy’s finished.” Let’s prove them wrong. Chip in $25, $50, or whatever you can to close the gap and keep fighting.
Send him back? How about 50 years of hard labor ( in prison ) in THIS country?
This is just something else for our ‘justice system’ and Lie-berals to ignore.